Posted on 09/29/2014 5:08:21 PM PDT by SoFloFreeper
Thanks to state preemption law, only the Florida Legislature can enact measures regulating the sale, possession, transfer of firearms in the Gunshine State.
But that’s not going to stop some city and county officials from attempting to implement ‘voluntary’ gun-control, the Sun-Sentinel reports.
Under a proposal backed by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, city and county officials would ask gun shops and ammo suppliers who have sales contracts with law enforcement departments around the state to follow certain “sales and marketing safeguards,” when conducting business.
Those safeguards include asking the stores to run background checks on employees, train personnel to identify telltale signs of straw purchasing, run periodic inventory checks to account for lost or stolen firearms and researching the chain of possession on firearms traded in to see if they’ve been used in a crime, among others.
Commissioners of Broward debated whether the program would violate state law.
“This is not regulating,” insisted Commissioner Dale Holness. “This is coordinating a voluntary effort to ensure that gun sales are done in such a way that the people are protected.”
“Gun violence, gun crime, is a very serious issue,” Holness continued, “and it affects our community. Whatever we can do to work to ensure we’re reducing this is going to be in the best interest of the people in Broward County.’
But Commissioner Marty Kiar wasn’t so sure that the proposal didn’t overstep the law.
“I don’t know if Gov. Scott would agree with that,” said Commissioner Kiar, in response to Holness’ comment. “And I don’t have a lot of confidence in what he believes, as it is.”
Casey Woods, the founder of Arms with Ethics, an organization that promotes voluntary gun-control, said that it was designed “specifically to stay within the parameters of the state law,” adding, “I think it’s important for the average citizen to know that law has a chilling effect on their local leaders trying to take steps to make them safe.’
While the movement is similar to a 2006 Mayors Against Illegal Guns effort to pressure Wal-Mart to agree to self-imposed sales practices, Woods says this is different.
“It’s a first step toward helping to raise standards in the industry using existing relationships the police departments have, and broadening out in time,” explained Woods.
Arms with Ethics is also having success in New Jersey, where the mayor of Jersey City is asking gun dealers and ammo suppliers to provide extensive information on how they conduct business before bidding on government contracts.
It appears Arms with Ethics is gaining ground, which has at least one gun-rights group on guard.
“Arms with Ethics is nothing more than a ‘special interest’ group trying to get the county to implement its gun control agenda,” Marion Hammer, National Rifle Association past president and the Executive Director of Unified Sportsmen of Florida told Guns.com Thursday. “How would the county react to NRA urging them to require all heads of household to have guns in the home for protection because 911 response time is so slow?”
Florida, with its pro-gun laws and its 1.2 million concealed-carry permit holders, has also seen a steady decline in violent crime for the past twenty years. Among these gun laws is the 2011 preemption statute, which would preclude Broward from making their program mandatory.
This leaves some perplexed at the wording of Broward County’s new initiative.
“No clear thinking county official would believe they can violate the law by establishing gun control criteria and escape punishment by calling it ‘sales and marketing safeguards,'” stated Hammer.
Hammer explains that the structure of the program could negatively affect those who do not comply, by making them ineligible for contracts with local police, saying, “Previous reports revealed that gun and ammunition vendors who sell to law enforcement agencies would lose that business if they refuse to ”voluntarily’ adhere to gun control standards imposed by the county. That’s not voluntary compliance, that’s coercion, and loss of business is punitive.”
Broward county is notoriously liberal, and the law enforcement chief is a Democrat.
No wonder they're trying to put in "voluntary" gun control
Florida news.
anyone else heard about this?
What kind of moron doesn’t keep track of their inventory?
Seriously?
So ... disarm the people who may not end up using their guns except for maybe home protection... yeah that will end well....
But I am sure the criminanimals will voluntarily turn over their weaopons because they are nice...
Broward is liberal? It sure wasn’t when I was there in the late sixties.
I’m in favor of voluntary gun control.
That’s why I practice shooting.
I suggest they voluntarily step down from office.
I’m not voluntarily relinquishing my Constitutional rights.
Screw these idiots.
“We have no right to disarm you, so please disarm yourself. Do it for the children!”
Jerks!
Dumb, dumb, dumb. We already have voluntary gun control. It is called freedom you idiots! You can abstain from guns or rights of to whatever degree you wish.
Only for stores with LE contracts?? I wonder how many stores would be willing to forgo entering into such contracts. Seems to me I recall Barrett refusing to sell his 50 cal rifles to California police agencies.
“This is not regulating,”
No. It is more like a Protection Racket.
“Nice contract ya got there. Be a shame if something happened to it.”
This is what you get when the sheriff is a party hack/failed LEO/tin badge/camera hog like Scott Israel. I am SO glad to be out of Broward County, breeding ground for future Alcee Hastings and Debbie Blabbermouth Slutz.
Yep. DWS lands here with her flying monkeys every Friday night.
That was just before the invasion/infestation from NY, NJ, MA, PA,and other liberal unionist sh*tholes. These carpetbaggers brought with them everything wrong (except the weather) with the places they were escaping.
So the street gangs will voluntarily put up their guns for how long exactly?
California wasn’t liberal in the late sixties, either.
Broward has been the most Democrat-voting county in Florida for more than 30 years. Even Miami-Dade at least has GOP reps. Condo commies, Afro-Caribbeans, and the only city in the US with an all-gay city council (Wilton Manors).
Hey libs: Volunteer this!
Just stop, stop, stop! Take care of American citizens, help the people who pay the taxes and make the places we love something we love! Quit killing productive citizens you busy-body idiots!!!!
Seppuku is more like ...
Yet again it’s those south east counties .
We would live in a very red state if it were not for those 3 counties, maybe they should form their new state seeing as it does not resemble much of our state.
Broward is the most liberal county in our state, think at last estimate it was over 70% Dem, and yet compared to my county St JOhns we have more republican than non party and Dems combined
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